The present invention relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to a wireless communications system that uses a high altitude communication device.
In this communication age, content providers are increasingly investigating ways in which to provide more content to users as well as interfacing with a larger group of users. The latest communications systems use digital broadcast satellites to broadcast to users in a forward direction. System operators have recognized that user requests are relatively small in terms of data compared to the amount of data broadcast from the satellite. Thus, for example, in the DirecTV(copyright) system, user requests are transmitted through telephone lines and programming is provided to the users via satellite.
In addition to satellites, stratospheric platforms are currently under development. One such stratospheric platform is Helios that is being developed by AeroVironment. The Helios stratospheric platform is an unmanned vehicle that can fly for several months at a height of about 60,000 feet. Helios is a solar powered electric plane that is modular in design and may be configured to carry a variety of payloads. Stratospheric platforms have numerous advantages including that capacity can be concentrated over a populated area, transmission delays associated with geostationary satellites are significantly reduced, the power required for transmitting and receiving is substantially smaller than satellites, and the elevation angles of the system are high. Also, these stratospheric platforms can be deployed relatively rapidly compared to satellites and thus, if a need increases, the system capability may be increased. In terrestrial-based cellular phone systems, a plurality of base stations are used to communicate with terrestrial-based users. The base stations require either terrestrial microwave links or fiber links that communicate with a central switching location. The growth of mobile communication systems is ever increasing. However, to keep up with demand, new cell sites must be added particularly in urban areas. However, it is increasingly difficult to add new cell sites in urban areas.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a wireless communication that allows easy expansion services to new users and the capability of adding additional capacity in high usage areas.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a terrestrial wireless network that is easily expandable.
In one aspect of the invention, a communications system comprising a plurality of cells having a base unit therein. Each of the base units communicates with a plurality of users. A communication platform located in a stratospheric location is used for transmitting and receiving information from the base units. A gateway communicates with the platform and couples the user terminals with a terrestrial-based network through the communications platform and the base units.
In a further aspect of the invention, a method of operating a communications system comprises the steps of:
sending first communication signal from a first user terminal to a base unit;
sending the first signal from the base unit to a stratosphere-based communications platform;
transmitting the first signal from the stratosphere-based communications platform to a gateway ground station
In a further aspect of the invention, the gateway may transmit the first signal from the gateway ground station to a terrestrial-based network or the first signal may be transmitted back to the stratosphere platform and routed to another terminal through the same or a different base unit.
One advantage of the invention is that high-speed access to the Internet or other terrestrial networks may be obtained. Another advantage of the invention is that a wireless system may be expanded rapidly without having to provide a fixed communication between a gateway center and any additional cell sites.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.